Charity
by Lady Razeli
Summary: I think you'd want to read it more if I didn't tell you what it was about. But I'll tell you involves Solan and a bunch of orphans.
1. Prologue

Charity

by

Lady Razeli

Disclaimer: The characters of this story belong to MCA Universal except of course Charity and Felicity and so on, which were created by me.

_Prologue_

_Thirteen years earlier:_

_"Xena are you almost done with that?" Cyrene asked as they made clothes for the orphans of the village. _

_"Yes mommy." Xena said. _

_"Well I hope you did it right." Cyrene said. _

_"I am." Xena said annoyed. She'd been doing this for six years already. You'd think her mother would trust her to know how to sew a dress. Especially if some where her old ones. She had the neatest snitches in the village. This had been her idea in the first place. Xena had a soft spot for little kids especially orphans. She was behind her and her mother making clothes or fixing up old ones for them. _

_"I'll go check on your dessert." Cyrene said leaving her daughter to finish the sewing. _

_"No wait!" Xena exclaimed."I'll do it." She stood up and hurried into the kitchen. She didn't like anyone even her mother to touch her desserts before they were done. It was the one thing besides sewing she could do well that was commonly thought of as a woman's job. She could barely cook anything though her mother assured her she'd get better at that she doubted it seriously. _

_"Is it done?" Cyrene called from the other room. _

_"Yes." Xena said taking it from over the fire. She set her pies side by side on a wooden rack. She made sure they were safe from bugs, animals, and especially her brothers, before returning to her mother. Her brothers ran in all flushed from the wind and heat. She shook her head. She loved to get dirty and stuff too, but now was the time to help others. They were selfish in her opinion. They could sew like any girl they just hated to admit it. _

_"You two should be helping not playing." Xena said. _

_"Your right." Torres said."But we don't want too. Its women's work." _

_"Its men's work too if you don't want me to tell all your friends you can sew. Can't wait to see what they'll say about you than." Xena threatened. _

_"You wouldn't dare." Torres said. _

_"Oh but I would." Xena said. _

_"Well I'll just tell them you actually enjoy this girly work." said Torres. _

_"Go ahead I'm a girl they won't be so surpised." Xena said sticking her tongue out at him. Torres stomped out of the house. Lyceus started to follow him. Xena stood up and dragged him by the ear over to a chair. _

_"You'll sew and do it right. Now get to work baby brother." Xena said. Lyceus smartly helped out. He knew better than to fight Xena on this matter. _

_"I like sewing anyway." Lyceus said. Cyrene laughed a little at her daughter's determination. They continued to finish the clothing and finished earlier thanks to Lyceus' help. _

_"I hope you made one for us." Lyceus said. He carried the basket of clothes while Xena carried the pies. She didn't trust Lyceus not to it before they even reached the orphanage. _

_"Yes, and for helping me I'll give you an extra special big piece. Torres will get the smallest." Xena said. Lyceus smile widened. _

_"Good, because I like pie." Lyceus said."Especially yours Xena." _

_"Thank you." Xena said. _

_"I wish I could bake like you." Lyceus said. Xena smiled. _

_"I wish you could too." Xena said making him laugh. He would have pushed her a little, but didn't want her to accidently drop the pies because of him. He knew he'd disappoint a lot of kids. He didn't want to do that. They had so few treats during the year, and they always looked forward to them bringing clothes for all seasons, and pie. Besides he heard it was somebody's birthday. Xena hadn't time for a cake when she found out. They arrived at the orphanage to cheers. The lady who owned the place was nice and she thanked them. She put the pies in a safe place for later. Lyceus and Xena distributed two dresses, pants, and tunic to every girl. The boys got three tunics, and three pairs of pants. _

_"Did you see that back there?" Xena asked. _

_"See what?" Lyceus asked. _

_"Their boots were in horrible condition." Xena said."What's the use of proper clothes without proper boots or sandles?"_

_"Beats me." Lyceus said. He hadn't paid any attention to their foot wear. That's what he loved about his sister. She had a keen eye for detail. She practically never missed a thing. Especially when it came to someone's well being. He could see her devising some way to get them good foot wear. _

_"Well we'll take this weeks allowance and make extra by putting on a show in the tavern." Xena said."Also we could do the odd job around the village until we have enough. Come on let's go ask the shoe maker how much. Well I will. You go ask the guy who repairs shoes how much." Lyceus nodded and ran off to do as he was told. He was surpised he hadn't even objected to the suggestion that they give up their week's alllowance. He worked hard for five dinars. Those orphans didn't, but who trusted an orphan these days._

_"What can I do for you Xena?" asked a friendly merchant. _

_"Thought I could help out make a few extra dinars." Xena said. _

_"Well of course little lady. Your help is always welcome when your not off fighting the boys." He said laughingly. He actually enjoyed her fights as much as he had enjoyed the songs she put on when she was halfway through her third year in life. He missed watching her sing cute little songs. He'd been delighted when she put on a show for them last night."I enjoyed the show last night." _

_"Thank you." Xena said. She was still a bit short for her age as he lifted her over the counter and onto a stool beside him. He found her to be good company. She did a song for him to pass the slow part of the day. This got a flock of buyers to come around. He sold more things in the slow part of the day than he did at other times.  
_

_"Well here's your pay for a day's work." He said. _

_"Ten dinars. Thanks." Xena said. _

_"No thank you, you did this old man some good today. Its nice to have someone out here with me." He said. She smiled. _

_"Your not old. Your just funny middle aged man." Xena said in the voice she used especially for people she'd known since she was a baby. It kept her charming. They loved her. She ran off after saying goodbye. _

_"I made ten dinars today." Xena said to Lyceus. _

_"I only made five at the blacksmith's." Lyceus said. They now had ten from allowances, ten from the performance, ten from the merchant, and five from the black smith. That made thirty-five dinars. They were still short fifteen dinars. _

_"Here." Torres said coming into Xena's room after a small knock. He put his allowance with their dinars. He got five more than they did for the extra work he put in that week. _

_"Well that's forty-five." said Lyceus. _

_"Well another night's work tonight will give us fifty-five." Xena said."We can leave the extra five dinars in this book right here to start saving up for any other thing the orphanage may need, but can't get on their own."  
_

_"Great idea." Cyrene said from the door."Now come on we have to get to the tavern if your going to work tonight. All of you." They nodded and locked the money away. They put on a show and Torres waited tables. He put five dinars in the box while they added all ten of their own. In the morning he felt selfish and added the rest. Than they just got all the orphans new boots. Each one was fitted with the correct sized boot, and were happy. _


	2. Chapter 1

_Chapter One_

_Fifteen years later:_

_"Mother." Solan said. Xena smiled. She loved Gabrielle for telling him now. She didn't agree with her for going behind her back, but now she was just happy to be with her son. She dreaded having to take him back to the centaur village. But the only way Kaliepus would let him go without a fight was if she swore that she would bring him back after two seasons. She would keep him Winter and Spring. And he would be in the Centaur village in the Summer and Fall. She watched Solan run over to her. _

_"What is it?" Xena asked hugging him. _

_"I see the village up ahead." Solan said excited to meet his grandmother. It was nearly winter solstice. _

_"Good." Xena said. Gabrielle walked up beside her. _

_"Xena." Gabrielle said."Can we stop for a while Lila's tired." Xena nodded. She ran off with Solan to have a snowball fight while they rested. Solan was full of energy like her and could walk for hours, before actually becoming tired. _

_"Hey!" Gabrielle shouted when they double teamed her. They laughed and ran as she chased after them. _

_"Gabby can't catch us!" They teased as they laughed. They split up knowing she couldn't very well get them both. They laughed even harder as they sat in a tree together laughing as she tried to throw snowballs up at them and couldn't reach. They could barely feel the splatter of the snowflakes with the hit the tree. They watched as one came back down and hit her in the face. Lila came over laughing. They could see a snowball clearly behind her back. Gabrielle couldn't as she brushed the snow off her face. _

_"Face full of ice just like when we were kids." Lila said. _

_"If I remember correctly you were the one with the face full of ice." Gabrielle said. _

_"Glad you cleared that up for me Gabby, because now its your turn at my hands." Lila said. She got her right in the face and ran. They laughed as Gabrielle chased Lila. They gathered snow from the trees and got them both. But than they helped Lila up the tree. _

_"Gabby can't catch us!" They teased."Gabby can't catch us!" _

_"Oh just you wait. I'll get you three one day." Gabrielle said shaking her fist at them. They laughed some more. Finally they all got down and let her get them, so they could continue on without having to be on guard all the time. They hurried towards Amphipolis when Xena detected the on coming of an early winter blizzard. It was still a little to early for snow, but there was just enough snow for a snowball fight. _

_"Mother!" Xena called. The tavern was empty of all patrons at this moment. She could smell dinner being prepared. The waitresses were cleaning up and smiled at her when she walked in. She returned it. They were some of the few people that still liked her even after what happened. They were outkasts and only welcomed her to their group of outkasts. _

_"Xena." Cyrene said. _

_"Mother, I want you to meet Solan your grandson." Xena said after she hugged her mother. _

_"Grandson?" Cyrene asked. Xena nodded. Solan hugged her. _

_"Nice to meet you grandmother." Solan said. Cyrene was so happy. After a minute she remember to greet Gabrielle and meet her sister, Lila. _

_"Its nice meeting your Lila, I was beginning to wonder if Gabrielle had any family these days despite all she says about you all." Cyrene said. Lila laughed a little. _

_"Yep, that's our Gabby. Alwasy talking." Lila said. Cyrene laughed too as did Xena and Solan. _

_"You all must be straving I'll get you some of the left overs from lunch they're still warm." Cyrene said. She fed them and ordered the waitresses to prepare four rooms. _

_"So where has he been all these years?" Cyrene asked once they'd all settled down to sleep in until dinner except Xena, who was dressed for it._

_"Centaur village." Xena said."And before you get mad, because I didn't tell you. I did it for his protection. And well now there is no point because Gabrielle went behind my back and told him before I could. Of course we talked and argued. But in the end he was ok with me being his mother. Than he got mad at Kaliepus his adoptive father." _

_"And what about his real father?" Cyrene asked. _

_"He died the night he was born. Murdered. I don't know by who." Xena said a little sadly. Cyrene could see that things might have been a bit different in her daughter's life if Solan's father had lived. _

_"Does he know that?" Cyrene asked._

_"Yes." Xena said. _

_"What of his adoptive father?" Cyrene asked. _

_"He's furious at Gabrielle. Solan knowing for him meant me taking him away for ever." Xena said."Of course when he knew I wanted to take him away. That's what Solan wanted. But we all talked and decided that as his mother I was entitled to take him away, but I'd given him to Kaliepus and that entitled him to spend time with Solan as father and son as well. But the problem was that I always travel and Solan would be traveling with me. Kaliepus stays in one place. So I now keep him with me for half the year. Winters and Springs. And he stays in the centaur village in the Summers and Falls. " _

_"He should be with you year around." Cyrene said. _

_"He will be. I plan on sticking around as much as possible in the Summers and Falls." Xena said. _

_"Good." Cyrene said."When's his birthday?" _

_"End of winter, start of spring." Xena said. _

_"Good, we'll give him a big party to celebrate his --" Cyrene paused looking for an answer from Xena._

_"Tenth birthday." Xena said. _

_"Good." Cyrene said."We haven't missed nearly all his young life yet." _

_"Course not mother. You'd have known about him than." Xena said."I'll see you later." She got her some grapes before heading upstairs. _

_"Can you spare some food?" a little girl asked. Xena looked up from her scoll. She had a list of widowed old women who could use a hand. Her mother said she'd send her right over to help as soon as she arrived. And she did the very next day. Now she'd just finished a week later. _

_"Are you an orphan?" Xena asked seeing the girl in rags. She looked half frozen and practically bare foot. _

_"Yes." The girl said. _

_"How old are you?" Xena asked. _

_"This many." The girl said holding up three fingers. Xena thought this was horrible. A three year old girl should not have to beg on the streets. How could she have not noticed her around before. _

_"Well why don't you come with me, and I'll get you some food at the tavern." Xena said smiling at her. The girl smiled as Xena wrapped her in her cloak. Than she frowned suddenly. _

_"What's wrong?" Xena asked._

_"I can't George will get mad at me." She said."He's sick and told me to stay with him."   
_

_"Well why don't you take me to George I'm a healer." Xena said picking her up. The little girl helped her find her way to George. He was lying between a tent and a building with no windows this far back except for one at the top where one could clearly hear a whore and her patron. This was no place for children. _

_"George." She said. He didn't move."He sleeping." Xena nodded and put the girl down on a clean patch of ground. _

_"Stay there." Xena said." She checked George's pulse. He'd frozen as late as that night. His body was stiff and cold. His lips blue. She sighed. No child should die like this. _

_"George!" said a boy. He limped over. _

_"Marcus." the little girl said. _

_"What did you do?" Marcus asked her. _

_"Nothing, he's gone." Xena said."She brought me here." _

_"I told you not to let the adults find us. Now they'll take us back to the orphanage." Marcus said to her. He coughed. Xena patted his back as he fell down. She caught him. _

_"Look I'm not going to take you back to the orphanage. Not yet anyway." She said."Now what's the girl's name?" _

_"Charity." Marcus said. _

_"Are you all related?" Xena asked. Marcus nodded. _

_"What your name?" Charity asked as she took them back to the tavern. _

_"Xena." Xena said. _

_"Please don't take us back to the orphanage we'll run away before we let you." Marcus said. _

_"You mean the orphanage here?" Xena asked. Marcus shook his head and nodded at the same time. _

_"The lady was horrible at our old orphanage. She beat us every day. So George and I took Charity and ran away. The lady here she doesn't beat us, but she doesn't feed us or cloth us properly. We ran away, but were taken back. The lady kicked us out afterwards." _

_"Well I'll do something about that." Xena said."But right now your health needs to improve." Charity would only talk to Xena and Marcus after that in a whisper. She was shy in front of Gabrielle, Lila, Solan, and Cyrene. They changed their clothes to ones that worn and torn. They got them warm shoes. But Marcus was put straight to bed rest. He was really sick. They burned George's body._

_"Xena." Charity said running after her. She wouldn't stay with anybody else. Xena waited for her and went up to the orphanage to see what the conditions were. Solan came with her. _

_"Oh thank you for bringing back the little darling I was so worried about her." said the woman. She obviously didn't know who Xena was. _

_"I didn't bring her back to stay." Xena said."Excuse us." She pushed passed her. The orphanage was in poor condition. Of course it was out of the way and not many in the village would know about it._

_"Can I help you?" She asked dislike evident. _

_"Yes, where are all the children?" Xena asked. _

_"Still a bed." She said. _

_"Take me to them." Xena said disgusted by the rat she saw run across the floor. There were hardly any toys and there was a draft. She noticed the woman was clothed in good furs compared to the thin material Charity and Marcus had worn. She saw that Solan noticed too. _

_"No, I shan't like to disturb them. " She said. _

_"You know what guys I think I'm starting to remember where they sleep." Xena said. Solan and Charity followed her. She entered the room and found that it was empty. In fact it looked like a noble lady lived there. The room had always been the warmest room in the building whether it was in good condition or bad condition. The children had always slept in here. Sometimes the woman who watched over them slept here too. Or took the smaller room built for one person. It wasn't as warm, but they had privacy. But this woman had actually kicked them out of it. _

_"Please get out of my room. " said the woman._

_"Where are the children?" Xena anger evident in her voice. The lady looked her up and down once and showed her to their room. It had a whole in the roof where snow had come through. It was very cold. The shutters didn't even close all the way. The child lay in bed coughing and trying to stay warm in ratty blankets. _

_"Why is it that the children are sick and in this horrible room while you live in the comfort of a queen?" Xena asked. _

_"Well they're orphans." She said. _

_"They're children." Xena said as she went from bed to bed. checking their pulses. Most were weak and others were strong. There were sick that had none. Froze to death. She shook her head as she put their covers over their heads. The six dead were around Charity's age. _

_"Your point." She said. _

_"They should be warm and eatting regularly. They should be playing out in the snow having fun. Not sitting in this horrible room freezing to death in these horrible conditions. " Xena said. _

_"Well if I had more money maybe they could have these things." She said. _

_"No, if you didn't spend the money given to the orphanage on yourself you wouldn't have six children to bury." Xena said."Six, three and five years olds." The woman didn't seem to care. _

_"All of you get up if you can. I want you to go into her room find anything in there to keep you warm. Don't worry about her she's my problem." Xena ordered. They did as she said. She and Solan carried some of the weaker ones in there. _

_"Solan run home and ask your grandmother to give you enough food for them. Perhaps spare some blankets. We can't take them all there." Xena said. Solan nodded and did as he was told. _

_"And you, you are going to the cemetery to dig six graves. Don't come back until you do." Xena said. She showed the woman her chakram, which she was never without. The woman with a shovel to do so. Xena checked the pulses again just to be sure. One little boy was still alive. She carried him to the other room. She found no food in the orphanage, but she found tea, which she heated up for them all. They thanked her as she got a fire started. Charity watched her as she helped to warm the boy up. Cyrene, Gabrielle, and Lila came baring more clothes, food, and blankets. Also Solan thought to bring her healer's kit. _

_"Solan watch him." Xena said. Solan nodded and tried to warm the boy like she showed him. They all changed clothes and wrapped themselves in a warm blanket drawing closer to the fire with food in hand. Xena mixed medicine and they all took it. Anything to avoid death even if it was nasty. The little boy was a year old now that she looked at him. _

_"Anybody know his name?" Cyrene asked. _

_"Cassius." said some one with a mouth full of food. _

_"Xena will he make it?" Cyrene asked. _

_"Completely up to him now." Xena said."I've done all I possibly can." They nodded. _


	3. Chapter 2

_Chapter Two_

_"He's going to be fine now." Xena said giving Cassius to a woman. She had fell in love with him, and had agreed to adopt him. Cassius was all better and attached to her and Xena. Cassius started crying. _

_"Oh don't cry I'll come visit." Xena said. Cassius' continued his crying as she said her goodbye's and took him to her home. _

_"Xena, did Marcus go sleep like George?" Charity asked. Marcus had died the night before. He was so weak that he didn't get better. _

_"Yes, I'm sorry Charity." Xena said picking her up and taking her downstairs. They were preparing his body as she spoke. _

_"Why?" Charity asked. _

_"Marcus and George were very sick. So sick that their body's couldn't take it and sent them to the most beautiful place you can imagine." said Xena. _

_"Where?" Charity asked. _

_"The elysian fields." Xena said. _

_"Oh, can we go?" Charity asked. _

_"Yes, but not for a very very long time." Xena said. Charity nodded. _

_"Charity can I hold you?" Gabrielle asked as they reached the table she sat at. Charity shook her head and turned away from you."Why does she hate me?" _

_"She doesn't hate you." Xena said sitting down. _

_"Yes, she does." Gabrielle said."She's let Cyrene, Solan, and Lila hold her even if she doesn't speak to them. But not me." _

_"Well maybe its the way you talk about her as if she weren't right in front of you." Xena said. _

_"She's three." Gabrielle said. _

_"She's a human being with feelings." Xena said. _

_"What's on the agenda for today than?" Gabrielle asked. _

_"Marcus funeral, check on the orphans, see about the repairs, um...I believe mother's sceduled us to help make them more clothes, and I think the last thing is help those who cannot help themselves. I mean besides the orphans." _

_"You love to give." Gabrielle said. _

_"What do you mean?" Xena asked. _

_"You have this soft spot for old people and children especially." Gabrielle said. _

_"Your point." Xena said. _

_"Your nicer than you care to let on or that I even realized." Gabrielle said. _

_"This is true." Xena said gently bouncing Charity. She squealed with delight. Solan came down. _

_"Is Cassius gone?" Solan asked. _

_"Yes, didn't you say goodbye?" Xena asked. Solan shook his head. _

_"No, I missed him." Solan said."It doesn't matter. He hogged you even though you weren't his mother. At least Charity doesn't hog you." They laughed. _

_"I'm serious, I'll actually miss her when she goes back to the orphanage." _

_"Charity no go Xena." Charity said."You Charity's mommy now." Xena kept bouncing her not really surpised Charity had said that. She'd over heard Marcus tell Charity that if she wasn't going to get sick and take a long nap like George than she had to make her, her mother. He told Charity to tell her that she was her mommy. _

_"No, I'm not." Xena said. _

_"Yes, you are." Charity said. She was firm and would not say different."Solan brother like Marcus now." _

_"Nope that's my mommy." Solan said. _

_"Where my mommy?" Charity asked. They were all silent except Solan who answered._

_"She's in the same place as Marcus." Solan said. Charity started crying. Xena comforted her. "Sorry." _

_"Charity its ok. Your mommy's in a better place." Xena said. Charity continued to cry. She stopped crying enough for Xena to get her to eat breakfast. Solan ate breakfast too still feeling a bit sorry. After that Charity stayed by Xena's side at all times. _

_"Oh my god my baby!" Some one screamed running towards the fire pyre. Xena had been about to light it, but stopped. The woman screamed when she searched the dead face more. It was all that was visible. _

_"Who are you?" Xena asked. _

_"His mother." She said. They had to go forth with the funeral, but they helped her back to the tavern once it was over. His ages were being collected by people trained for that job. _

_"Your his mother." Xena said. _

_"Yes, Marcus, Charity, and George got seperated from me and my husband in a fight with bandits on our way up north." She cried. I was taken to Athens to be sold as a slave. I escaped before they could sell me. I've been looking for them ever since. Please tell me is George and Charity ok?" _

_"George is dead too. He died a while ago. I should tell you that the first orphanage they went too didn't treat them right. And they found their way here. I suppose they came north hoping to run into you and their father." Xena said. She looked at the woman. Charity definately took after her. She was Charity's mother to her dismay. _

_"And Charity, she must be dead by now. She was only a baby when it happened." She said crying. _

_"Actually this is Charity." Xena said pointing to Charity playing with her old stuffed animals. _

_"Charity?" She asked."Are you sure?" _

_"Yes." Xena said. The woman was so happy and went over to Charity. She hugged her. Charity screamed and ran behind Xena once she got free. _

_"Charity." The woman said. _

_"She doesn't know you." Solan said. He knew Charity didn't know this woman, and he knew she wanted Xena. Xena was the first woman to show her kindness in a long time. Xena treated her as if she were her daughter. She tucked her in and kissed her goodnight. She made sure she ate and kept her healthy. Well nursed her back to health. And she played with her. Everything he had missed out on most of his life with her. He had to admit he was a bit jealous, but glad at least Charity could get to know a mother's love. _

_"Charity." She said again."Its me mommy." _

_"No mommy." Charity said." Xena mommy." _

_"No, Xena is not your mommy. Why would you want a murderer as your mother?" _

_"Xena is not a murder." Gabrielle said defending her immediately. "Xena is the single most sweetest person I have ever met next to her own mother and my sister." _

_"Yea." Lila and Cyrene said. Solan agreed. _

_"No, Xena is a murder. She destroyed my whole village when I was a bit younger." She said. _

_"And she tried her hardest to nurse you son back to health, and essentially saved your daughter's life." Cyrene said."I think you can forgive her." _

_"Your Xena." She said looking at her. Xena nodded. _

_"Well I hate you, but thank you for saving my daughter." She said."I should like to take her tonight. I don't think I can part from her ever again." She picked up Charity, who screamed immediately reaching out for Xena. _

_"Wait!" Xena exclaimed before she could go. The woman turned around. _

_"What?" She asked. _

_"Um...it might be best if you let her realize it first before you go snatching her from the only place she feels safe." Xena said."She'll never forgive you, and you don't want that." The woman knew she was right and thought about just taking Charity anyway. But she didn't like screaming to much. In fact she hated it. _

_"Alright." She said. She put Charity down. Charity ran to Xena again. _

_"Well I think we could all do with some dinner." Cyrene said. _

_"I'm not hungry." Xena said."Just tired." She turned and went upstairs. Charity hurried after her not wanting to be without Xena. Not when that woman was around to try and take her away. Xena almost wished Charity's real mother was dead. She'd bonded with her over the weeks. She loved her like her own. She had been all prepared to adopt Charity and was going to talk to Solan tonight about it. She would be his sister after all. She didn't think she could bare to leave her in the orphanage in good condition or bad. Definately not in bad conditions. _

_"Xena tell bad lady you my mommy." Charity said. _

_"I can't." Xena said."She really is your mommy." _

_"No, you mommy Xena. " Charity said laying beside her. _

_"No." Xena said turning to look at her."Your mommy is not with Marcus and George after all. She's downstairs and she's been looking for you, for a long time." _

_"I no want her. I want you." Charity said. _

_"I know, but you belong with your mommy." Xena said. _

_"Charity what's wrong?" Felicity her mother asked. Charity ran pass her from the tavern, crying. Felicity was hurt that Charity wasn't familiar with her enough to at least come to her when she was hurt._

_"Xena, I hurt my hand." Charity cried as she entered the kitchen through the back door with a dead chicken in her hands. She set it down and wiped her hands. Charity had a little cut on her hand that could do with a small banaged to protect it from infection. _

_"Let me see." Xena said without thinking to tell her to ask Felicity to look at it."We're going to have to give you a banage." _

_"It'll hurt." Charity said as she took her over to a bag. . _

_"No, it won't it'll make your hand better. I just have to put something on it first." Xena said. Charity stood there and cried a little more, when she put the poison on her hand. It was only poisonous if you drunk it, but good to stop infections. She banaged it."There all better." _

_"Kiss it." Charity said as Xena wiped her tears. _

_"No, I think you should let your mommy do it." Xena said remembering Felicity who had taken to helping her mother and getting advise from her. _

_"No, you mommy, you do it." Charity said. She could see Felicity was hurt. It'd been a week and Charity still hadn't given into the fact Felicity was her mother. Xena herself still couldn't believe it a little. But Marcus or George weren't here to claim different, and this woman was definately family of Charity. It broke Xena's heart to have to tell her she couldn't be her mommy, when she really wanted to be. Even if she had told Charity different before Felicity came along she knew in her heart she wouldn't have been able to leave Charity at the orphanage to grow up there and wait for somebody else to adopt her. When she herself could. _

_"No." Xena said. Charity wouldn't believe her." 'Olan you kiss it." Charity ran over to him, when he came into the kitchen. Xena loved the way she sometimes mispronounced his name. _

_"Ok." Solan said. He secretly hated Felicity. He'd read his mother's diary. He really shouldn't have done it, but it was just sitting on her desk for anyone to see. But than again he'd picked the lock to get in her room. She'd probably kill him if she knew. But Solan had learned that his mother really loved Charity as much as she loved him, which was more than she could ever put in words as she put it. He thought it was weird the way she called her diary Amelia. He'd have to go back to the beginning to figure out why. But even more secretly he told Charity not to believe Felicity ever, because Xena wanted to be her mommy even if she said different. He hated to admit it, but he loved Charity too. Who couldn't love Charity. _

_" 'Olan kiss it." Charity said bringing him back to the present. He kissed her bandaged hand. _

_"Charity now that your hand is bandaged would you like to go for a walk with me?" Felicity asked. _

_"No!" Charity said. She went over to Xena and lifted her arms. Xena picked her up and set her on the counter. She let her pull out the chicken feathers. She thought it was fun. Solan helped her. _

_"Oh Xena come here!" Cyrene called from outside. _

_"Watch her." Xena said to Solan automatically. Solan nodded automatically. Xena went outside and took the basket from her mother as they helped. Mrs. Wauric to her home. _

_"I'll have Xena bring you some wood later." Cyrene said."This wood should last you until tomorrow morning." _

_"Ok thank you Cyrene you've just been to kind to me today." She said. _

_"No, its our pleasure." Xena said. After a while they left. _

_"So, what do you think of Felicity?" Cyrene asked. _

_"I hate her, because I lost my heart to that little girl." Xena said."You can only loose your heart to so many people, and I'm already up to two. Solan and Charity." _

_"Of course who couldn't love that little girl. Even Gabrielle has a soft spot for her and she hasn't spent one on one time with Charity like the rest of us have." Cyrene said. _

_"Yea, but why do I get the feeling that we'd have a easier time telling Charity Gabrielle was her mommy than we do now._

_"Because your who she wants, and having Gabrielle as a mother would be like having you as a mother." Cryene said."But to let you know I've been giving her bad advise. I don't want her to win Charity over. So you can play the whole good girl lot in from of her. But in private you tellh er want she's like." _

_"Isn't it wrong?" Xena asked."I mean she lost them in the confusion of the battle when they ran for their lives. George and Marcus are dead now. They probably thought she was dead." _

_"If it was wrong you wouldn't love her so." Cyrene said. _

_"I think I would." Xena said."I can't talk Charity away from Felicity anymore than I have, and keep a clear conciousness no more than you could have just given Torres, Lyceus, and I to an orphanage for no reason at all." _

_"Two different events, but I guess your right. But I could have if I thought it was for the best just like you did for Solan." _

_"Yea, but I regrett it everyday." Xena said."I should have just given it up, but I couldn't." _

_"Xena never regrett what you must do to protect your children." Cyrene said."Is that clear?" Xena stared into her mother's eyes and knew she was dead serious. They dared her to challenge her words. Xena didn't. _

_"Yes ma'am." Xena said. _

_"But Charity needs to be with the person that will love and take care of her." Cyrene said. _

_"Well that just simplifies the conflict now doesn't it." Xena said sarcastically. _

_"No." Cyrene said paying no attention to her sarcastism."Well yes actually. See when I look at you I can tell you love Charity and she loves you. Even Solan loves her and vice-versa. We all love her, but Felicity. When she knows we're watching her she shows love, but it doesn't feel real. Than when I look at her when she doesn't know it I don't particularly see love." _

_"Maybe she's the type of person who has to get to know the person. Child or not before she can love them or even just like them in the case of a person." Xena said. _

_"No, a mother loves immediately. It takes a cold hearted bitch not to love her own child." Cyrene said."Maybe she loved the others especially Marcus. But Charity. Her love for her is questionable."_

_"Why don't we just give a truth serum and find out." Xena said sarcastically. She could tell her mother really didn't trust Felicity, but distrust needed only go so far and her mother was pass the line. Which was why she had been sarcastic. _

_"You know that's not a bad idea." Cyrene said. Xena laughed a little shook her head at her mothers seriousness. _


	4. Chapter 3

_Chapter Three_

_Felicity went up to her room angry. Oh if her sister could see her now. She'd be heartbroken about Charity. Her beautiful twin sister killed by that bitch Xena. Before she'd had blond hair though. Suppose she wanted a change now that she was trying to play innocent in this village. She couldn't let Charity be raised by a murder even if she had saved her life. _

_"Don't worry Charity I'll get your daughter back." said Felicity to the small painting of her sister. Felicity didn't even like Charity. In fact she hated kids, but her sister had loved them. So she would not have anyone else raising her sister's kids. They would know their family. Their true family. She sighed if she succeeded in getting Charity away from these people her acting career was likely to go down the drain in Thebes. _

_"I suppose I'll have to find me a nice rich young man whose not an thesbian." Felicity said._

_"Yea, that might be nice." Solan said coming out of her closet. He'd been searching her room for her diary. He'd read his mother's now he wanted hers. The one person's diary he should have been reading in the first place. He'd actually been reading it when she came in. In fact he found what he was looking for in her diary when she came in. He knew the truth. _

_"What are you doing in here?" Felicity asked. _

_"Listening to you." Solan said."You'll leave here today and you'll leave here without Charity." _

_"No, Charity is coming with me." Felicity said. _

_"No, you don't love Charity. You just want to take her away, because you think my mother's a bad person." Solan said."Well she's not and we want Charity to stay with us. She's orphaned and we're her family now." _

_"No, I am all the family Charity has." Felicity said. _

_"No, you don't get to choose your family's, but in the case of orphans. Charity got too, and she's chosen us not you." Solan said."By the way my mother never had blond hair. Not since she was a girl." He left out. _

_"Don't you ever come in my room again." Felicity yelled after him. _

_"Mother, Grandma you can't let Felicity take Charity." Solan said. _

_"She's Charity's mother." Xena replied. _

_"No, no she's not." Solan said."She's Charity's Aunt. Charity, Charity's mother is her twin sister. Charity died two years ago by some blond woman she think is you."_

_"Callisto." Gabrielle said the same time as Xena. She'd been seated at a table writing while Charity sat across from her drawing nothing in particular minding her own business. _

_"Whatever, and she hates kids." Solan said."We just have to get rid of her." _

_"She's still her family." Gabrielle said."Charity deserves to be with family." _

_"Not if they mistreat her." Cyrene said. Xena was just silent. _

_"Yea, so I'm sure we can all come up with a plan to get rid of her Lila said coming out of the kitchen."You really should lower your voice I heard you all the way in there. Perhaps she's heard you too." _

_"Naw you have to have really good hearing to hear anything in here from her room." Cyrene said. _

_"Look you guys, one day Charity will ask about her real family. Now I'm going to tell her the truth, but she's not going to be happy knowing we drove her only living relative away however bad a person she made turn out to be to Charity. So instead of driving her away we need to take this at another angle." Xena said. _

_"She's right." Gabrielle said."Lila you take Charity for a walk. We've got thinking to do." Lila nodded. _

_"Charity why don't you go for a walk with Lila." Xena suggested. Charity didn't want too, but Xena promised her dessert at dinner if she went for as long as Lila wanted. They watched them leave. _

_"Now what?" Cyrene asked. _

_"Solan it was your idea got anything?" Xena asked. Solan shook his head no. _

_"I create mischief not compromises." Solan said. _

_"Gabrielle?" Xena asked. Gabrielle shrugged. They sighed and were silent. _

_Author's Note: What do you think so far? I'm kind of at a road block. Does anyone have any ideas of how I should get rid of Felicity. I'm very open minded and promise to credit you. You can respond to this by reviewing my story. _


	5. Chapter 4

_Chapter Four_

_"Felicity we think you should leave. " Cyrene said when she came down. _

_"Fine, I know when I've overstayed my welcome." Felicity packed her bags and picked up Charity who immediately screamed. _

_"No,no put me down!" Charity screamed. Xena stopped her at the door. _

_"No, we think you should leave without Charity, your welcome to visit her at any time, but we love her, you don't." _

_"You bitch how could you say such a thing to me!" Felicity yelled at her,"I am her mother!" _

_"No, your not, your her aunt, we know the truth now, and you won't take her away." _

_"I am her mother." Felicity said._

_"Charity is in good hands you can be sure of her safety here." _

_"Why would I leave my sister's daughter with a lying murdering bitch like you, you think just because you dyed your hair from blond, and got a new outfitt that your no longer the murdering bitch that killed my sister in the first place." _

_"Ok firstly I have not had blond hair since I was a baby and secondly yes I have done bad things in my life and I know nothing will ever change that, you can't go back in time. If I could I would save your sister from whomever impersonated me and killed her, and than you'd all be happy and Charity's brothers would still be alive, but that's not going to happen not without the help of the gods anyway." _

_"I don't believe you, and tomorrow I will leave, but Charity is coming with me whether she wants too or not." said Felicity. She stomped upstairs. _

_"How could you have let them slip pass you like that Gabrielle." Xena said. _

_"I don't know one minute I was awake and the next I was out cold." Gabrielle said. _

_"I just can't believe she managed to drug us all including Charity, after I put her down I started to get sleepy." Xena said. _

_"Yea." Cyrene agreed. _

_"We have to go after her than." Solan said. _

_"Definately." said Xena. They all changed into better travel clothes and hurried after Felicity and Charity. Xena prayed they found them, but so far to many people had used the road for her to pick up a trail just yet. Felicity was smarter than she let on. They came to the fork in the road and there were two sets of tracks leading away from the fields and into Amphipolis._

_"Gabrielle, Mother, Lila you go that way and Solan I will go to the right." Xena said. They nodded and split up. Xena and Solan hurried on the trail they both knew was the right trail. _

_Author's note: Sorry It took so long to update. Another chapter will be coming soon. _


	6. Chapter 5

_Chapter Five_

_"Solan, just to claify this before we find them, don't ever read my diary again." Xena said. Solan blushed. _

_"How'd you know?" Solan asked. _

_"You didn't place it back the way I had it, my room door was unlocked, and you were the only person upstairs who'd even dare go into my room and actually find interest in my diary, someone else would have stolen it or put it back the way they found it." _

_"Sorry Mother, but it was just sitting there." Solan said. _

_"I know, and I forgive you, but that's an invasion of privacy." Xena said._

_"I won't do it again." Solan said. _

_"Good, but I need to know, do you really love Charity, or do you just want her to stay, because I love her as much as I love you?" Xena asked. Solan was silent as he thought about his feelings for Charity and not just his mothers._

_"I love her mother, she's the sister I don't have, one I never thought I'd have." Solan said looking her in the eyes. They looked into the other's eyes and saw in them the mutal love they had for Charity. Charity was apart of their hearts more than they could ever realize, but when they saw their eyes mirrored in the others body they knew. They knew that they had endless love to give to each other and to Charity. Her place was forever with them. _

_"Let's hurry then she's got a night and half a day ahead of us." Xena said. Solan nodded and hurried along beside Xena._

_Meanwhile Cyrene, Gabrielle, and Lila continued down the other dusty road unaware that they were not on the right path to Charity. They were out of breath, but they kept going anyway as dust got caught in their dry ichy throats, but they didn't stop. _

_"Gods we'll never catch up." Gabrielle said clutching her chest. _

_"Yes, we will we can't stop now." Cyrene said grabbing her. _

_"Yea, I'm tired too Gabrielle, but we can't let her have a horrible life when she can have a perfectly good one with all of us." Lila said. _

_"Your right, let's go." Gabrielle said. They hurried on until they caught up with a wagon. It was merchant and they found no sign of Felicity and Charity. They doubled back hoping that they had missed a set of footprints, but there was nothing. Finally they went back to the tavern sad that they had failed Xena. They prayed to the Gods that Xena herself was on the right trail and would fine Charity soon. _


	7. Chapter 6

_Chapter Six_

_"I hear crying." Xena said as they hurried along. It was the next morning and Xena was sure they were closing in on them now. _

_"Same." Solan said. _

_"Come on it might be Charity." Xena said. Solan nodded and they ran towards the crying. There was a piercing scream and a loud crunch that made them run faster. Xena took out her sword. The sight they came upon a giant. He had squashed Felicity with his hand and proceeded to drop her body right in front of Solan blood getting all over him. He started crying like a little baby. Xena was almost just as freaked out as she threw her chakram cutting the hand of the giant that held Charity. Charity fell fast towards the ground. Xena was sure they would hear her screams back at the village. She caught Charity and ran back to Solan who was in shock. _

_"Solan run." Xena said. He didn't run, so she pulled him along and got him started. She caught her chakram as the giant persued them. Why didn't she bring Argo. Charity screamed and cried in fear. Solan was crying and the giant was very close behind them screaming with rage. Xena found a small cave that Solan and Charity would be safe in. She handed Charity to Solan and pushed them in. _

_"Do not come out until it is safe." Xena ordered. Solan only nodded holding Charity close and moving back to the wall and into a corner. Xena took out her sword again and moved away from the cave. _

_"Over here big foot!" Xena yelled. The giant in a rage tried to stomp her. He kept missing until finally she put her sword through his toe. He jumped up and down on foot making the earth shake. Xena struggled to stay on her feet. She threw her chakram and caught him in the bridge of his nose. He sunk like a rock in water. Xena jumped as his body caused the earth to vibrate once again. Rocks started to fall and once particularly large rock covered the entrance of the small cave cutting off all light and air for Solan and Charity. _

_"Solan, Charity!" Xena called. She could hear muffled crying and screaming. The giant's head was in the way and it seemed impossible to get them out. Xena called for help as she tried to push the bolder out of ther way. When all hope seemed loss and the kids were near passing out from lack of air Hercules came running. Xena had never in her life been more happy for his help. _

_"Move his head hurry!" Xena shouted. Hercules said nothing, and moved the giant. Xena was able to push the boulder out of the way without much difficulty. She reached in and pulled them both out. _

_"Mommy." Charity cried taking a deep breath. Solan just took death breaths and clung to her as much as Charity. Hercules made sure the cave was clear and that they were safe._

_"Come on let's get you both cleaned up." Xena said. Hercules helped her get them to the river. She cleaned them up and they made the long trek home after burning Felicity's body. Solan wouldn't go near the sight though and Xena didn't blame him. She let him keep Charity while Hercules and herself gave her a proper burial. _

_"Thank you, I don't know what I would have done if I had of lost them." Xena said. _

_"No problem." Hercules said. Charity and Solan came over. Xena took Charity in her arms and Solan leaned against her. _

_"Hercules this is Charity and Solan my kids." Xena said. Hercules could clearly see that Charity was adopted and she had already told him about Solan. _

_"Nice to meet you I hope we can meet again under better circumstances." Hercules said. Solan merely nodded and Charity just watched him as tears rolled down her eyes. _

_"Nice seeing you again, hope we cross paths again." Xena said. Hercules nodded and they seperated. _

_"Oh Gabrielle what if that Giant I heard is coming this way is already here?" Cyrene asked. _

_"Giant what giant?" Gabrielle asked alarmed. _

_"I just heard today from a traveler that he saw a giant headed this way." Cyrene said. _

_"Oh no what if Xena doesn't catch up to Felicity and she runs into the giant." _

_"Oh no Charity." Cyrene said. _

_"No, no let's not get hysterical now, Xena's a great warrior I'm sure she has Charity with her right now and the Giant is miles away." Gabrielle said trying to reason with herself and Cyrene. It didn't do any good, because soon they were running down the rode Xena had taken. Cyrene and Gabrielle met Xena halfway back to the village with Solan and Charity walking beside her. Since the incident they had calmed down now and Charity seemed to have forgotten where as Solan after a talk with Xena was feeling much better about what he saw. _


	8. Epilogue

_Epilogue_

_Three years later:_

_"Charity come on!" Solan called. A fire year old Charity sat up in her bedroll and the smell of rabbit stew reached her nose. She turned and smiled at her Aunt Gabby who handed her a bowl, which she quickly ate. _

_"Where's mama?" Charity asked Gabrielle. _

_"Charity, we're going to start without you and Gabby don't hurry up!" Xena yelled. _

_"Down by the lake with Solan, they're waiting for us, but I insisted that unlike them we liked to eat after we woke up." Gabrielle responded. Charity laughed with her and pulled her up. _

_"Well come on I wanna swim." Charity said. Gabrielle stood up and ran with her down to the lake. Xena was just tossing Solan in when they arrived. _

_"Mama!" Charity screamed when Xena grabbed her and tickled her. Before she knew it she was in the water next to Solan. _

_"Bath time munchkin." Xena said. _

_"No bath." Charity said as she swam away. Solan went after her. Xena and Gabrielle joined them in the water and had fun before Xena finally gave Charity her much needed bath. It was lucky the found this lake after all that time with not enough water to bath in and not a village for miles. Ever since Felicity had died they'd had a rocky couple of weeks before they all became a family. Xena legally adopted Charity and she seemed to be the missing link and made everyday even brighter along with Solan. Xena loved them both to death and would destroy anyone who hurt her kids. _


End file.
